Art & Design/Graphic Communication

Examples of Art and Design and Graphic Communication are all around us, enriching our lives and the environment we live in. Pupils at Thornhill School are given the opportunity to appreciate the work of a variety of artists, photographers and designers. They are taught a wide spectrum of media and drawing skills which they build upon project by project, gradually becoming more independent so they are prepared for the challenges of GCSE.

Key Stage 3

In Key stage 3, pupils follow the National Curriculum completing at least two large projects a year. In Year 7 pupils are taught essential painting and drawing techniques before using those skills to complete a larger scale piece of work in groups. In Year 8 pupils complete a project based on perspective before producing their own composition in a range of media. Throughout Key Stage 3, technical skills, experience of media and the understanding and appreciation of Art are developed and built upon in order to equip them with the skills necessary for Key Stage 4.

Key Stage 4

In Key Stage 4 pupils can opt for one of two GCSE specifications: Art & Design and Graphic Communication. These are both three year AQA courses and are based on 60% coursework and 40% exam. Coursework consists of students producing a minimum of two projects where they provide evidence of looking at the work of others as a source of inspiration, development of their ideas and experimentation in a wide range of traditional and digital media often combined together. They then create a final piece in response to this. The exam preparation is completed in lesson time over a period of several weeks before students have an un-aided, ten hour period of time to create their final piece.